Tag Archives: weight loss

We have had had some spectacular weather the last week or so in our area. It makes sleeping so much nicer. Did you know that lack of sleep may be one of the culprits for that expanding waist line? A new study out of Great Britain suggests that insufficient sleep may cause you to go up a waist size. Those who averaged 6 hours sleep a night had waists that were about 1.2 inches larger than those that slept around 9 hours a night. Those with less sleep also weighed more. The theory is that less sleep causes an imbalance between two hormones that tell you when to eat and when to stop. Less sleep may upset that balance, making you eat more. Sleeping less also seems to be tied to slower metabolism. Thus, less sleep combines two factors that may contribute to the perfect storm toward weight gain and increased waist size!!.

I just read an interesting article about fiber and arthritis? Did you know that a study of more than 1200 adults found that those who consumed the most fiber had a significant reduction in their risk of knee arthritis. The top 25% of fiber consumers had a 61% lower risk of osteoarthritis of the knees, than those at the bottom levels of fiber intake. It also showed that eating fiber earlier in life had even more positive effects on arthritis later in life. The authors concluded that there may be two reasons: 1) a reduction of inflammation which causes pain and 2) helping maintain a healthier weight which puts less stress on the joints and bones. Either way, seems like a good reason to eat more fiber…!!

We all love our children and grandchildren, right? Did you know a huge study linked childhood obesity to having a television in their bedroom? A huge study out of London found that children with TV’s in their bedrooms by the age of 7 were far more likely to be overweight or obese by the age of 11, compared to kids who did not have the TV in their room. Girls were 30% more likely to be overweight and boys were 20% more likely. The researchers found that having a TV in the bedroom was an independent risk factor for being overweight and increased body fatness. Just think, we now have added computers, phones, tablets and other electronic media to the whole mix. Time to kick the kids outside and let them play, get dirty and experience the world again!!

Did you know that those diet products you eat are probably making you fat? This may be why. Keep in mind that this is a study about rats, however, those rats that were fed a low-fat, high-sugar diet, added the same amount of fat as the control rats who were fed a balanced diet. Unfortunately, they only needed HALF the amount of calories to add the same amount of body fat. In other words, those rats on the low fat, high-sugar diets needed less than half the calories to generate the same amount of fat. Scary eh! This diet also resulted in chronic brain inflammation and intestinal tract inflammation as well as possibly contributing to non-alcoholic fatty liver. Please take heed of this information. We know that inflammation is also a driver in cardiovascular disease..!!

I touched on a study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine in which they concluded that we should rethink worrying about lowering saturated fat in our diets to prevent heart disease. They conclude it is more important to focus on decreasing insulin resistance and inflammation in the body by targeting exercise, diet and reducing stress. During a review of previous studies the researchers found that even those people who lowered there LDL cholesterol and overall cholesterol and replaced their saturated fat with omega-6 fatty acids, still had a higher rate of death. Researchers went on to say that we should concentrate on a Mediterranean style diet. The problem is that when people try low fat diets (to avoid saturated fats) they tend to eat more refined carbs which leads to insulin resistance, higher blood sugar, higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and obesity. The bottom line is that we as a society must be more focused on lifestyle changes that prevents insulin resistance and reduces inflammation.

If you like eggs, and want to lose some weight, this might be just for you. A recent study of men and women who ate two eggs at breakfast (as part of a reduced-calorie plan) lost a whopping 65% more weight than those who ate a bagel breakfast of equal calories. The egg eaters also felt more energetic. As far as the yolk, nutritionists are encouraging you to eat the yolks in that they contribute to the weight loss, but also increase the HDL cholesterol as well as being a good source of vitamin B12 and choline. I wouldn’t recommend the buttered toast, hash browns and bacon to go along with those eggs, if you are trying to lose some weight, however, having protein to start the day, helps reduce appetite and keeps blood sugar levels from wild fluctuations.

I am always amazed when I read health news. It seems as soon as one study comes out, the next research contradicts the previous one. I read an interesting but controversial article where the researchers (three cardiologist from Britain) say that saturated fat does not clog your arteries and that the “clogged pipe” model of heart disease is “plain wrong.” They go on to say that in people over 60, the number one risk factor for heart attacks is inulin resistance, driven by a number of dietary factors, especially increased sugar and other refined carbohydrates. In other words, its not the saturated fat in your burger that causes the problem, it is the bun, fries and sugary drink that you wash it down with, that you should be concerned with. Remember inflammation is a driver of cardiovascular disease and pro-inflammatory ingredients are the sugars, refined carbs and industrial seed oils found in processed foods. I will have a bit more on this next time!

If you love to eat, as I do, then you may want to consider the following information from the CDC relative to American weight gain. We are now as fat a country as ever. Forty one percent of women and thirty five percent of men are obese compared to a decade ago. That is up 4% for women and 1% for men. Teen obesity is at 21% which is up from 17%. The good news is that obesity rates for kids ages 2-5 have declined to 9% from 14% and kids 6-11 have remained about the same. These stats are the latest from 2014 but it is definitely not good news. It is not the fact that as a society we are getting fatter, it is all the health ramifications that go along with that including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, just to name a few. We can be heavy but healthy, however it does take effort, education, persistence, informed food choices and timely but consistent exercise. This is an epidemic and as a society it must be addressed now, as we are failing in our attempts to help our selves and educate our future generations to the ramifications of the choices we make with our foods. The first step is to hold ourselves accountable, for the health of our nation.

Did you know if it is loud when you eat, you may consume more calories than if it was quieter? A study of 71 people, divide into two groups, had people listen to white noise through a headphone while they ate pretzels. The group listening to soft noise ate roughly 50% fewer pretzels than those who listened to louder noise. The researchers speculated that hearing yourself eat may serve as a “consumption monitoring cue”. The bottom line here is that keep it quiet as possible while you eat, and your body will thank you for it!!

Disease risk and reducing ectopic fat isn’t always easy or well known. Last time I discussed how the location of lipid tissue (ectopic fat) in the body can increase the risk of disease. That is, it is not so much how much fat you have, the danger may lie in where it is located. So, how do we deal with it and reduce our risks?

Diet

First, when it comes to reducing the risk of cardiometabolic disease, diet is key, however it must be sustainable. Meaning it must be incorporated as a way of life. Recent research indicates that eating three meals daily: with breakfast as the biggest calorie source, may be better than several smaller meals daily, due to alterations in insulin production. Also consider and identify any food sensitivities that need to be eliminated.

Exercise

Exercising with high intensity interval training is a great way to burn fat as fuel . When lifting weights, it is good to lift heavier weights, utilizing less repetitions to failure. For example instead of 12-15 reps with a light weight, perform 10-12 reps, with the last rep to failure. This will help increase muscle mass which will then increase your metabolic rate. Try to move after a meal, walking etc., Use the new activity trackers to keep record and shoot for 10,000 steps daily.

Lifestyle

Sleep and sleep patterns are important to reduce disease risk as poor sleep patterns are associated with both weight gain and metabolic syndrome. Studies have shown that those with 5 or fewer hours of sleep on a continual basis, gain weight compared to those who sleep longer (7-9 hours). Controlling stress is another factor in improving health. Stress increases cortisol production which then has great impact on blood sugar and insulin sensitivity.

Nutrition:

These nutraceuticals are more recommended for reducing the risk of disease by providing healthy metabolic processes rather than losing weight. Berberine is good for supporting healthy insulin and blood sugar levels. An appropriate dosage are up to 500 mg, three times daily. Melatonin supports healthy sleep, is associated with fat loss and helps maintain a proper circadian cycle. Fish oil supports healthy signaling mechanisms associated with metabolic syndrome. It can help reduce the risk of incidence of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and support healthy insulin signaling. Curcumin helps support healthy insulin response s well as healthy glucose and lipid profiles. MCT oil helps suppress the accumulation of body fat in men and women. Talk to your physician about taking any supplement if you are on medications of any type.

I hope this provides some reasonable information on how to reduce your risk of disease!!